by our College Data Analytics TeamHere you will find what students actually borrow to attend Westminster College, including completion-adjusted borrowing and a standard repayment estimate. All figures come from the U.S. Department of Education and IPEDS.
At Westminster Fulton specifically, 98% of incoming students take out a loan to help cover first-year costs, with a typical loan of $6,598 each — a figure that counts both private and federal student loans.
Federal loans alone average $5,241, or about 95.3% of the $5,500 federal limit that applies to a typical first-year dependent borrower. Be aware: the undergraduate-wide averages below exclude private loans, while this freshman number includes them.
For undergraduates overall at Westminster Fulton, 91% rely on federal student loans toward their education, borrowing on average $6,466 a year. It comes to 23.4% higher than the $5,241 freshmen take on.
At a steady annual pace, that totals around $12,932 over two years and about $25,864 by the fourth year. These projections assume the same federal borrowing each year and exclude private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 91% |
| Average federal loan per year | $6,466 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 541 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $3,498,002 |
The median student at Westminster Fulton borrows $19,463 in federal borrowing.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $19,463 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $27,000 |
| Students who withdrew | $7,500 |
Withdrawn-student debt matters because those borrowers carry the loans without the degree that helps repay them.
Half of all borrowers fall between the 25th and 75th percentiles shown below for Westminster Fulton.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $4,750 |
| 25th percentile | $6,500 |
| 75th percentile | $27,000 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $31,739 |
The gap between the 10th and 90th percentile is the clearest single measure of how widely borrowing varies at Westminster Fulton.
Median federal debt understates the full cost when PLUS loans are included. The totals below add PLUS borrowing for Westminster Fulton.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 116 | $24,826 |
| Completed (graduates) | 65 | $36,546 |
| Did not complete | 51 | $15,280 |
Completers face an estimated standard 10-year monthly payment on their PLUS-inclusive debt of roughly $434.57/mo.
These figures turn the debt totals into a monthly repayment picture for Westminster Fulton.
A loan default — failing to keep up with federal student-loan payments — is one of the worst financial outcomes a borrower can face. The official Department of Education two-year default rate for Westminster Fulton follows.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 5.3% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 207 |
This rate follows a borrower cohort from the start of repayment through the two-year window the Department of Education uses.
Median debt differs by income tier, first-generation status, and whether the student is financially dependent.
By Family Income
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $15,638 |
| Middle income | $17,875 |
| High income | $19,598 |
By First-Generation Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $16,638 |
| Continuing-generation students | $20,500 |
The Department of Education computes gap indicators that show how borrowing differs between student groups at Westminster Fulton.
Subsidized vs. Unsubsidized Loans
Unsubsidized federal student loans accrue interest every month — even while you are still enrolled. Unless you pay that interest as it builds, the balance you owe at graduation can be noticeably higher than the amount you originally borrowed.
Worth Knowing
Federal student loans are not discharged in bankruptcy in all but the rarest cases, and the government can withhold part of your income or tax refund if you default.
References
More about our data sources and methodologies.